Forewarning
by Niyroos
Summary: A flash fiction story about Scourge's past.


Three black paws padded alongside one white. Scourge was making his way down an alley towards the edge of his city. His clan would be in a panic when they discovered him missing. He snorted contemptuously, "Worthless mouse-brains." A stone up-walker barrier stood in his path. Scourge tensed his hind legs and sailed smoothly to the top of the obstacle- a large feat for so small a cat.

He paused on the rough edge of his perch, scenting the air and scanning the territory ahead of him. Glancing back the way he had come, a wave of pride puffed the midnight fur on the thin cat's chest. Back there, they all feared him. Back there, he might as well be one of Starclan. Scourge showed a fang, grinning slightly. He flicked his tail, then leapt gracefully to the grass on the other side of the wall.

Rows of up-walker nests lay before him. He would need to be more careful now. Not that he couldn't handle the up-walkers or their dogs, he just didn't want to have to bother with them today. He had somewhere to go.

Slinking near to the nests to stay away from the stone-path in the center of the up-walker camp, Scourge made his way towards the house at the end of the long rows. It was built at the edge of the camp, surrounded by a wooden fence and backed by dense woods.

Those woods- Scourge's lip curled at the thought of their inhabitants. Their time would come soon enough, right now though- he returned his attention back to the house, now standing directly across the path from him. He suddenly froze and flattened his body to the ground as he spotted something across the path- She was there! On the fence!

An older, lightly colored she-cat sat on the up-walker barrier, gently lapping at her fur and stretching in the sun. Scourge quivered in the grass, unseen. He felt like a kit again, just seeing her. He held perfectly still, barely breathing.

"Wait, what am I doing?" he growled at himself, "You came here to show her what you've become. What would she think if she knew you were shaking like a leaf in the grass?" Scourge hesitated a moment more, then stepped to the edge of the stone-path, ears pricked. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but in his nervousness no sound escaped. It didn't matter, though, for she had spotted him.

"Tiny?!" she sprung to her paws, tail raised in recognition, "Is that really you?" Her excited mew cracked. She sounded old. This was a bad idea. Scourge took a step back. He wasn't ready to face her; he needed more time.

She bounded to the ground and ran towards him, "Why did you leave me, my son? I needed y-"

The roar of an up-walker monster tore its way into Scourge's ears. His paws glued to the ground as it trembled from the weight of the approaching beast. His mother's paws reached the edge of the stone-path. His heart pounded blood through his ears. She didn't see it, eyes locked on her lost kit. He couldn't look away. Her pelt disappeared under the crushing black paws. He wasn't breathing.

The monster didn't even slow its race down the path. She was left there, limp on the rough stone. Dying. Alone. She shouldn't die alone.

Time released its grip on the paws of the leader. He ran to his mother, feeling as if moons were passing rather than the moments it took him to fly across the black rock. He skidded to her side, panting. She was gasping, eyes wide as blood poured from a rend in her chest to coat the dark stone path in red. Her hind end was mangled. Scourge couldn't tear his eyes away. Another monster was coming. He couldn't let it have her.

Gripping her ruff in his shaking jaws, Scourge brought her to the edge of the path. Her eyes were glazed from the pain, but she managed to mewl softly as he crouched over her, "Look at how big you are." She tried to rasp her tongue over his ear, but didn't manage to lift her head enough, "You've come back just in time, it seems, my Tiny one."

"No!" Scourge grew frantic. His breath came in short spurts and his eyes dilated as terror gripped him, "No, mother! You can't just leave me! Not now, not now that you can be proud of me. Not now!""

Blood spurted from his mother's mouth, and the world twisted violently, up-walker nests crumbling and the lush grass blowing into dust. "But you left me, Tiny." The twisted body raised itself, dragging closer. "You. Left. Me."

Scourge yowled and scrambled backwards, but his siblings were there, throats gushing from slashes he had made. They cackled, pushing him forward. The three dead cats began circling him then, trapping Scourge in the center of what was now and unending stone-path. The sky burned red as they stalked him, creating a circle of blood to contain their relative. Their cackling laughter pierced Scourge's ears. He screamed in pain and fear.

"No!" He yowled, "No stop! You should be happy!" He was desperate, eyes still glued to the corpse of his mother. "Look at me! I'm strong now! I'm brave! Please mother!" He was a kit again, and blood rushed over his paws. The circle bubbled then burst aflame, trapping him belly-deep in blood he had spilled. Tiny yowled and spun, desperate to find a way out from the burning prison. The flames burned higher and higher until it was all he could see. Tiny felt his fur sizzling as moisture was sapped from his body. He was burning. He couldn't stop the Fire.

Scourge jerked awake, sending bones clattering from his pile. A few scruffy members of his clan raised their heads sleepily to look at him, but they quickly returned to their rest. They were used to their nights being disturbed by their leader's nightmares.

He was breathing breathing hard, but Scourge composed himself as he recognized his familiar surroundings. He lapped a tuft of fur on his chest self-consciously, then laid his head back down. After all, he didn't need to worry.

_It was just a dream._


End file.
